Further reading This guide is intended to be used to assist with the identification of sharks, rays and bony fishes most commonly encountered in coastal fisheries catches, or sold at domestic fish markets, throughout the Pacific Islands region. This guide is unlikely to cover all of the species that occur in every landing or at every market stall – rarer species not presented here may occur in some catches on occasion, in which case another identification guide may be required. Moreover, this guide does not cover ornamental species (with the exception of those species also commonly consumed in the region), and, with some exceptions, the guide does not cover species targeted in oceanic longline fisheries, deep-bottom finfish fisheries or invertebrate fisheries. Below we list some of the many excellent identification guides developed for the region. Other marine species identification guides available from the Pacific Community (SPC): Chapman L., Sharples P., Brogan D., SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Desurmont A., Beverly S. and Community). 2004. Pacific Island Sokimi W. 2006. Marine species sea cucumber and beche-de-mer identification manual for horizontal identification cards. Secretariat of longline fishermen. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. New Caledonia. SPC. 2005. Shark identification Chapman L., Desurmont A., Choi Y., in Pacific tropical offshore Boblin P., Sokimi W. and Beverly fisheries. Secretariat of the Pacific S. 2008. Fish species identification Community, Noumea, New manual for deep-bottom snapper Caledonia. fishermen. Secretariat of the SPC. 2013. Deep-bottom fish Pacific Community, Noumea, New identification cards for small- Caledonia. scale fishermen. Secretariat of the Pakoa K. and Barré C. 2013. Identification Pacific Community, Noumea, New cards for marine invertebrate surveys Caledonia. in the Pacific Islands. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. 132 Identification guides for elasmobranchs and teleosts in the Pacific Islands region: Allen G.R. 2009. Field guide to marine Myers R.F. 1999. Micronesia reef fishes: fishes of tropical Australia and A comprehensive guide to the South-East Asia. Welshpool, coral reef fishes of Micronesia Western Australia: Western (3rd edition). Guam, USA: Coral Australian Museum. Graphics. Allen G.R., Steene R., Humann P., Randall J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes DeLoach N. 2003. Reef fish of the South Pacific: New Caledonia identification: tropical Pacific. to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Jacksonville, Florida: New World Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Publications, Inc. Hawaii Press. Last P.R. and Stevens J.D. 2009. Sharks Randall J.E., Allen G.R. and Steene R.C. and rays of Australia. Collingwood, 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. Reef and Coral Sea (2nd edition). Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Lieske E. and Myers R. 2002. Coral reef Hawaii Press. fishes: Indo-Pacific and Caribbean (revised edition). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. General species identification guides relevant to the Pacific Islands region: Allen G.R. and Steene R. 1994. Indo- Humann P. and DeLoach N. 2010. Reef Pacific coral reef field guide. El creature identification: tropical Cajon, California: Odyssey Pacific. Jacksonville, Florida: New Publishing Company. World Publications, Inc. 133 Index A Blackfin barracuda 129 Bull shark 10 Acanthocybium solandri 105 Blackfin hogfish 55 Bumphead parrotfish 90 Acanthurus achilles 15 Blackfin squirrelfish 50 Acanthurus auranticavus 15 Blacksaddle grouper 115 C Acanthurus bariene 15 Blacksaddled coralgrouper (dark) 121 Caesio caerulaurea 28 Acanthurus blochii 16 Blacksaddled coralgrouper (pale) 120 Caesio cuning 28 Acanthurus dussumieri 16 Blackspot emperor 63 Caesio teres 28 Acanthurus guttatus 16 Blackspot snapper 70 Calotomus carolinus 90 Acanthurus leucocheilus 17 Black-spot surgeonfish 15 Camouflage grouper 118 Acanthurus lineatus 17 Blackspot tuskfish 58 Canthidermis maculata 26 Acanthurus maculiceps 17 Blackstreak surgeonfish 18 Carangoides bajad 30 Acanthurus mata 18 Blacktail snapper 71 Carangoides chrysophrys 31 Acanthurus nigricans 18 Blacktip grouper 114 Carangoides ferdau 31 Acanthurus nigricauda 18 Blacktip reef shark 11 Carangoides fulvoguttatus 31 Acanthurus nigrofuscus 19 Blacktip shark 11 Carangoides orthogrammus 32 Acanthurus nigroris 19 Bleeker's parrotfish 91 Carangoides plagiotaenia 32 Acanthurus olivaceus 19 Bloch's bigeye 89 Caranx ignobilis 32 Acanthurus pyroferus 20 Blotcheye soldierfish 48 Caranx lugubris 33 Acanthurus triostegus 20 Blubberlip 45 Caranx melampygus 33 Acanthurus xanthopterus 20 Blubberlip snapper 73 Caranx papuensis 33 Achilles tang 15 Blue and gold fusilier 28 Caranx sexfasciatus 34 Aethaloperca rogaa 108 Blue and yellow fusilier 28 Caranx tille 34 Aetobatus ocellatus 13 Blue sea chub 54 Carcharhinus albimarginatus 10 African pompano 30 Blue trevally 31 Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos 10 Albula glossodonta 25 Blue-barred parrotfish 98 Carcharhinus leucas 10 Alectis ciliaris 30 Bluefin trevally 33 Carcharhinus limbatus 11 Ambon emperor 61 Bluelined grouper 109 Carcharhinus melanopterus 11 Anchor tuskfish 57 Bluelined hind 109 Carolines parrotfish 90 Anyperodon leucogrammicus 108 Blue-lined large-eye bream 60 Cephalopholis argus 108 Aphareus furca 68 Bluelined squirrelfish 52 Cephalopholis boenak 109 Aphareus rutilans 68 Bluelined surgeonfish 19 Cephalopholis cyanostigma 109 Aprion virescens 68 Bluepatch parrotfish 97 Cephalopholis formosa 109 Areolate grouper 112 Bluespine unicornfish 24 Cephalopholis leopardus 110 Atule mate 30 Bluespot mullet 81 Cephalopholis miniata 110 Bluespotted grouper 109 Cephalopholis sexmaculata 110 B Bluespotted hind 109 Cephalopholis sonnerati 111 Balistoides viridescens 26 Blue-spotted large-eye bream 61 Cephalopholis spiloparaea 111 Barcheek trevally 32 Blue-spotted spinefoot 123 Cephalopholis urodeta 111 Barred rabbitfish 124 Blue-spotted stingray 14 Cetoscarus ocellatus 91 Barred spinefoot 124 Bluestreak fusilier 29 Chameleon parrotfish 95 Bicolor goatfish 82 Bodianus loxozonus 55 Chanos chanos 38 Bigeye barracuda 128 Bodianus mesothorax 55 Cheilinus chlorourus 55 Bigeye scad 36 Bolbometopon muricatum 90 Cheilinus fasciatus 56 Bigeye snapper 72 Brassy chub 54 Cheilinus trilobatus 56 Bigeye trevally 34 Brassy trevally 33 Cheilinus undulatus 57 Bigeye tuna 107 Brick soldierfish 48 Chinamanfish 77 Bignose unicornfish 24 Bridled parrotfish 97 Chlorurus bleekeri 91 Bigscale soldierfish 48 Brown chub 54 Chlorurus frontalis 92 Black and white snapper 76 Brown surgeonfish 19 Chlorurus japanensis 92 Black blotch emperor 66 Brown-marbled grouper 114 Chlorurus microrhinos 93 Black jack 33 Brownspotted grouper 112 Chlorurus spilurus 93 Black-banded snapper 75 Brownstripe red snapper 75 Chocolate grouper 109 Blackbelt hogfish 55 Brownstripe snapper 75 Chocolate hind 109 Blackeye thicklip 58 Bulbnose unicornfish 23 Chocolate surgeonfish 20 134 Choerodon anchorago 57 Epinephelus howlandi 115 Grass emperor 63 Choerodon schoenleinii 58 Epinephelus lanceolatus 115 Gray unicornfish 22 Cinnabar goatfish 84 Epinephelus macrospilos 116 Greasy grouper 119 Common bluestripe snapper 72 Epinephelus maculatus 116 Great barracuda 128 Common dolphinfish 40 Epinephelus malabaricus 116 Greater amberjeack 37 Common parrotfish 101 Epinephelus melanostigma 117 Green humphead parrotfish 90 Common ponyfish 59 Epinephelus merra 117 Green jobfish 68 Common silver-biddy 43 Epinephelus miliaris 117 Greensnout parrotfish 103 Conger cinereus 39 Epinephelus ongus 118 Greenthroat parrotfish 100 Convict surgeonfish 20 Epinephelus polyphekadion 118 Grey drummer 54 Convict tang 20 Epinephelus retouti 118 Grey large-eye bream 61 Coral grouper 110, 113 Epinephelus socialis 119 Grey mullet 81 Coral hind 110 Epinephelus spilotoceps 119 Grey reef shark 10 Coral rabbitfish 123 Epinephelus tauvina 119 Grey sea chub 54 Coral rock grouper 113 Euthynnus affinis 105 Gymnocranius euanus 60 Coryphaena hippurus 40 Eyestripe surgeonfish 16 Gymnocranius grandoculis 60 Crenimugil crenilabis 80 Gymnocranius griseus 61 Crescent-banded grunter 130 F Gymnocranius microdon 61 Crescent-tail bigeye 89 Filament-finned parrotfish 95 Gymnosarda unicolor 106 Crocodile long-tom 27 Fimbriated moray 87 Gymnothorax fimbriatus 87 Cromileptes altivelis 112 Fine-spotted rabbitfish 125 Gymnothorax flavimarginatus 87 Ctenochaetus striatus 21 Finstripe goatfish 86 Gymnothorax javanicus 87 Five-lined snapper 73 D Flagtail grouper 111 H Dark capped parrotfish 100 Flathead grey mullet 81 Harlequin sweetlips 44 Dark-banded fusilier 29 Floral wrasse 55 Harry hotlips 45 Darkfin hind 111 Forktail rabbitfish 123 Hemigymnus melapterus 58 Dash-and-dot goatfish 83 Forsten's parrotfish 97 Heteropriacanthus cruentatus 89 Decapterus macarellus 34 Foursaddle grouper 119 Highfin coralgrouper 122 Deep-bodied silver-biddy 42 Foxface 127 Highfin grouper 116 Diagramma pictum 44 Fringelip mullet 80 Highfin parrotfish 99 Dogtooth tuna 106 Himantura fai 14 Dory snapper 71 G Hipposcarus longiceps 94 Dotted sweetlips 46 Gerres erythrourus 42 Honeycomb grouper 117 Doublebar goatfish 83 Gerres filamentosus 42 Hound needlefish 27 Double-lined mackerel 105 Gerres longirostris 42 Humpback grouper 112 Doublespotted queenfish 35 Gerres oblongus 43 Humpback red snapper 71 Dusky parrotfish 99 Gerres oyena 43 Humpback unicornfish 21 Dusky rabbitfish 124 Giant grouper 115 Humphead wrasse 57 Giant moray 87 Humpnose big-eye bream 67 E Giant sweetlips 44 Humpnose unicornfish 23